Turner Wins Third US Air Force Modernisation Award

As Air Force facility capacities and complexity advance, its infrastructure is increasingly becoming a specialist construction discipline.  

The US Air Force Materiel Command are launching the third phase of its modernisation programme with a contract ceilinged at US$900m. 

Turner stands out among awardees as an exemplar of the expanded skillset defence infrastructure projects now demand.

The programme supports military ground-testing facilities at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC), with Turner, as well as Burns & McDonnell and Amentum, among eight contractors selected for a multiple-award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract.

The Facilities Acquisitions for Restoration and Modernisation (FARM) programme is the AEDC’s overhaul of its critical defence infrastructure across sites nationwide. 

Turner will return as a contractor for FARM III, having successfully delivered within the programme’s first and second phases.

“We are proud to build on our longstanding relationship with AEDC and continue supporting the U.S. Air Force through the FARM III programme,” says Agnes Pope, SPD Project Manager at Turner.

The award comes following the Pentagon’s announcement of an Air Force contract programme worth a combined US$3.5bn to support a nationwide series of construction, demolition and restoration projects surrounding its bases.

The demands of military infrastructure

Headquartered in Tennessee, the AEDC comprises a hub of bases, contributing significantly to US space and aerospace programmes.

For 75 years it has conducted the testing and development of military aircraft, alongside missile and space systems, serving national military organisations as well as private industrial clients. 

The AEDC’s facilities include environmental chambers, centrifuges, engine test cells and over 90 wind tunnels, capable of simulating flight conditions up to 300 miles high. 

The FARM programme is a key initiative to progressively modernise and maintain the AEDC’s spread of facilities as it continues its critical operations. Unlike FARM II, a US$300m fixed-price contract set out across a five-year span, FARM III will span a projected eight years.

Executing projects within active military test centres like the AEDC requires specialised competencies from contractors:

• The integration of new, complex mechanical and electrical networks into existing facility systems
• Work on and around critical data and control systems, while ensuring information remains moving and secure
• The organisational capacity to manage complex design-build workflows without interrupting scheduled military testing windows
• The retrofitting of major structural components inside controlled aerodynamic testing chambers, navigating highly-specialised testing technology 
• The ability to maintain strict security compliance across multiple military defence sites

A broader technical skillset is therefore required, which contractors must be able to demonstrate before work begins on critical infrastructure.

An expanded role for construction companies

Combining mechanical, electrical, and data-system overhauls and design-build projects – which must be seamlessly integrated, to avoid disruptions to military operations – the scope and complexity of the FARM III programme presents a serious challenge. 

For construction companies, the ability to deliver one technically complex facility will also need to be matched by the capacity to repeat that performance across a breadth of different projects and locations, over an eight-year span.

As a returning contractor, Turner is uniquely positioned to successfully deliver the AEDC’s critical infrastructure.

“Our experience with these facilities and understanding of AEDC’s mission position our team to deliver the critical infrastructure improvements needed to advance its testing capabilities,” says Agnes.  

Turner has also demonstrated its military infrastructure expertise beyond AEDC, including US$389m in reconstruction and upgrades to parts of the Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.

Particularly relevant among the construction giant’s heavy structure credits is the Redstone Aircraft Hangar, a flight-testing facility in Huntsville, Alabama: at 63,000 square feet, the build is supported by technology to enhance control systems and enforce secure aircraft instrumentation. 

Armed with site-specific knowledge and experience integrating the wide range of technical infrastructure specialised military facilities require, Turner exemplifies the optimal skillset for a contractor scaling a critical defence infrastructure project.  

Key partners on the FARM III programme

Turner

Turner Construction is one of North America’s major construction companies, delivering complex projects across sectors including defence, healthcare, technology and infrastructure. Its FARM III selection builds on previous work at AEDC, giving its team experience of the site’s specialised facilities and operational requirements. Turner’s role illustrates the growing importance of combining construction delivery with technical expertise when working on mission-critical Air Force infrastructure.  

Amentum
Amentum is a global engineering and technology company focused on complex challenges across defence, science and security. Headquartered in Virginia, the company has approximately 50,000 employees operating across more than 70 countries and lists defence and space manufacturing among its core markets. Its engineering, technology and mission-support capabilities make it relevant to the increasingly integrated technical requirements of military infrastructure programmes. 

Burns & McDonnell
Burns & McDonnell is an employee-owned engineering, construction and architecture firm headquartered in Kansas City. With more than 10,000 employees, the company combines engineering, construction, commissioning, programme management and government and military expertise. Its multidisciplinary model aligns closely with the specialist capabilities required across complex Air Force infrastructure, where engineering systems and construction delivery increasingly need to be coordinated as one programme.